The invention relates to surface modifying macromolecules (SMMs) having high degradation temperatures and their use in the manufacture of articles made from base polymers which require high temperature processing.
Various fluorochemicals have been used to impart water and oil repellency, as well as soil resistance, to a variety of substrates. These fluorochemicals have most often been applied topically (for example, by spraying, padding, or finish bath immersion). The resulting repellent substrates have found use in numerous applications where water and/or oil repellency (as well as soil resistance) characteristics are valued, such as in protective garments for medical technicians and laboratory workers. The repellent substrates can be used, for example, where it is desirable to prevent passage of blood, blood-borne pathogens, and other body fluids across the fabric (i.e., to block exposure to chemically toxic or infectious agents); and to reduce exposure to low surface tension chemicals, such as alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes.
Medical care garments and protective wear garments used commercially are often fully or partially constructed of extruded articles e.g. thermoplastic films, thermoplastic fibers, fibrous non-woven materials, thermoplastic foam materials etc. Examples of these products are in surgical drapes, gowns and bandages, protective wear garments (e.g., workers overalls, facemasks, and labcoats, among others). These materials require high temperature processing conditions often exceeding 200° C.
Many fluorochemicals lack the requisite thermal stability to be processed at temperatures above 200° C. (for example, in melt spun applications where high extrusion temperatures often exceeding 275-300° C. are involved).
Thus, there remains a need for thermally stable additives which can be used in admixture with base polymers that require high temperature processing to impart water and/or oil repellency.